The Next Chapter


I've been quite occupied lately since I just got engaged over the Thanksgiving holiday (yay)!  After 6 years, patience, love and devotion, I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my life.

Our story is simple and sweet.  
Over the past four years, T and I kept one item between the two of us which kept us connected to each other - a small, pocket sized,  beautiful Moleskine. We've overcome challenges, lived apart and traveled often.  Whether we were traveling to Zurich, Japan, China, Korea or just the other room, we would write to each other in these wonderful pages sharing our love, fears, excitment and more....

Culture and family is important to us, T being French and myself being Chinese.  I was honored to collaborate with T's mother in designing my own engagement ring.  She offered a family jewel as a treasured gift and asked me to design what I'd like with her friend, a French jeweler who previously worked for Cartier.  T and I went to Cartier and Tiffany's for inspiration and after a few sketches later, a beautiful ring was created.

And our adventurous journey together continues...

Art Show at Haddon Hill




Thanks to everyone who supported my artshow this past weekend especially Isaac and Danny who run Haddon Hill Cafe (btw try the mocha, it's like liquid joy).  There were about 30-40 folks coming in and out of the event and the best part was seeing my family, friends and onlookers stopping by for a glimpse.  Some things I've learned and highlights included:

Community Matters
It was my first time visiting Haddon Hill and my dear Thibault introduced me to this quaint coffee shop near Lake Merritt.  Now I'll be honest, the only memory of Lake Merritt I had was during my basketball days where we played an incredibly athletic and scrappy team from Lake Merritt.  It wasn't the best experience, but an experience none the less.  So visiting this cafe was a pleasure - it was a simple, clean, intimate equipped with exceptional books and magazines (e.g. Momofuku and the like). Seating ranged from a large table to aisle seating to bar seating.  Oh, there's also a vintage upright piano full of sheet music from Claude Debussy, just in case you felt like playing Clair de Lune.  My friend Scott and I decided to bake some rich chocolate treats including cakes, cookies and rice crispy treats. It satisfied our guilty pleasure for baking.

Share your passion and people will share in the love with you
I wanted to share my passion for artwork with the community and it was never a concern to me of -Will they like it? Does my art make sense to people? and questions of the like.  The core of this show was the joy I had painting, mixing, testing and sharing my experiences.

I was excited about the evolution of the art
I was excited by the diverse interpretations (talks of castles, fashion relating to Venetian masks)
I was excited by the smiles I saw from my friends, family and the passerbyers
I was excited by the growth

Be curious
The evolution of my work is grounded in curiosity.  The world is a curious and beautiful place and there's so many interesting tid bits from culture, travels,  and purely listening to others with a different point of view.  That's what inspires my work.  The connections between the seemingly different. Tradition and the new.

This was such a fun show and on to planning the next!


See photos of the show here













Wall Art for this week





This week's challenge was to collect items to make into a collage for wall art.  I was limited to colors of my astrology sign (Aries) and pulled some random items such as red felt coasters, glass coasters, yarn, illustrations, you name it.  Here's the final product. The lesson I learned was around limitations.  Limitations can bring forth creativity and beauty if you let your curiosity guide you.  I played with layers, textures and various ways to use the color red/yellow. Would you hang this on your wall? :)




The Language of the Birds

This week's assignment was really challenging and fun.  We were suppose to illustrate, from our own perspective a Russian folktale called 'The Language of the Birds'. I remember the first time I tried to illustrate a children's book. I think I was in 2nd grade or so and it was a story of a rat.  I forget the story, but I vividly remember my teacher giving me this huge gold star for the book and me having tons of fun illustrating with colored chalk.  I bet the book's in my mother's garage somewhere :)

For this book cover assignment, I wanted the illustration to have a sense of wonder and magical moment. This was the first time I played with hand lettering which is fascinating to me..there's something personal and human about it.  What do you think?


Home Decor plate design


Working on literally what felt like art boot camp last week was an exercise in Home Decor design.  I'm taking a class right now that's hugely beneficial where each week, an art industry is highlighted (e.g. bolt fabric, home decor, etc).  Last week we worked on designing plates with the theme of bromeliads - a flower which reminded me of lovely, serene Hawaii.  I looked at catalogs for color concepts and drew some ideas. Ultimately I came up with a 'fresh' feeling concept that integrated tones of blues and greens which made me think of eating farm fresh salads (not to mention the relaxing ocean).

Things I learned:

Continuity: Taking the time to look at color combinations and unity in shape, form, line and concept was important

Medium: This was the first time I used my Arches watercolor paper and it was exquisite and very smooth to paint on.  Highly recommend for painting final pieces (since the block is quite expensive)

Iteration: This was an intensive project and a new area for me to discover (I sell throw pillows online however designing on a product from scratch was another challenge.) 

Looking forward to this weeks challenge :)


A look into Bolt Fabric



I'm super excited in exploring the industry of bolt fabric and how fabric patterns are made, marketed, you name it.  Designs are no longer limited to quilting, but a wide range of graphical, stylized and whimsical prints.  Here's a little sampling of what I'm working on with inspirations from vintage casserole vessels, berries...and of course an Asian twist...I can see this on aprons, oven mitts, hmm what  would you make out of a fabric like this?

Happy Mid Autumn Moon Festival!


A quick sketch of one of my favorite memories and delicacies..the Chinese mooncake! Well, the Mid Autumn Festival actually :) I have wonderful memories of my parents sharing this day of togetherness  with me.  I always loved the lotus paste-filled baked goods with salty yolks (yay).  The moon was full and bright last night and many mooncakes shared...Enjoy...

For those who aren't familiar with the festival...learn more here :)

Regal Abalone


I was thinking and about a concept from my recent trip to the Big Island Hawaii but couldn't think of any ideas but the literal - plumeria flowers, pineapples, loco mocos, beaches, sun, mai tais.  

Sigh...

I tried pulling ideas from my trip to the lava tubes and tours seeing live, hot, molten lava...I just didn't have a creative concept.  Finally, over the past few days I've been exploring gems, diamonds and simply the way they sparkle.  The idea came from the visit  I had from the Tiffany's in Hawaii.  Gems are such a beautiful thing, luxurious, natural and vibrant. In addition to that, I had a memorable trip to the Big Island Abalone Farm where I was given a interesting lesson about the harvesting of Japanese abalone. Many farmers, students and travelers come here to learn about the mysterious abalone.  The farm also works with many of the local hotels such as the Four Seasons who source abalone for their kitchens. My parents love this delicacy so I decided to buy some live, fresh abalone to take back home.  I remember having this huge abalone shell from when I was girl and marveling over it's wonderful swirl of colors and metallic designs.

I thought,  I would again blend two objects that seemingly don't go together into a memorable watercolor painting of my memory of Hawaii.  Non traditional. Playful. Yet perfectly imperfect.

Enjoy :) (Try abalone esp if you haven't before)

Coffee and Carats


Gems. I've been looking at a ton of gems lately and am fascinated by how they glimmer, the angles, planes, the sparkle, you name it.  I was thinking about my first piece Teabags and Takeout and really liked the idea of putting two things together that seemingly shouldn't be together...but somehow it just works.  In this piece, I took the iconic coffee cup of NY and dressed it with gems of all sorts in different 'carat' sizes.  I like how this turned out..it's a nod to the classic and inexpensive. dressed with the exquisite.  What do you think?

Shoes and watercolor

Here's my first watercolor painting of a lovely pair of shoes I bought with my grandma in Hong Kong at the Vivienne Westwood shop.  I adore these shoes, and they smell like bubblegum :)




I've been practicing more and more with watercolor and loving it.  It's amazing how fluid, flexible and freeing it is. I didn't realize how practical it is too...(can rewet and use when dry).  I recently took a basics to watercolor class by Katie Rogers and it's amazing what you can learn in a short period of time.    After working with acrylics, pen/ink, pastels, pencil and charcoal over the past few years, I think I've found my medium. :)

Onward ...for my next projects I'm working on maps..stay tuned...

Interview with Mochi Magazine


Photo by Thibault Jousse

I had a great opportunity to contribute to an online publication I stumbled upon called Mochi Magazine. 

For the full interview, check it out here.

 If you haven't heard of Mochi, they're doing some great things for the Asian American community.  Check out their bio below:


Mochi Magazine is an online magazine specifically for young Asian American women. You are probably wondering, “Who (whatwhenwherewhyhow) is Mochi?” Until a few years ago, we were, like you, looking for relevant hair and makeup tips, for advice regarding cultural confusion and racial identity. Many of us were looking without even realizing it at the time. But we figured out eventually that we were seeking something that simply did not exist.
Society has come a long way in its representation of Asians, but we still have a ways to go. Even today, Asian representation in film mostly consists of martial arts flicks with the same actors, and the Asian American identity is completely overlooked. However, coming to terms with “Asian American” – the convergence despite all odds of two or more vastly different cultures – can be more difficult than learning our parents’ mother tongues or Tae Kwon Do. “Asian American,” in fact, is an identity apart from the terms “Asian” and “American” – it is the space between the two words that we struggle with.
When we first began Mochi, we had an idea for a publication that would address all the things that would have made “Asian American” a little easier to understand. We envisioned Mochi as the older sister you never had, who could answer all of those simple but essential fashion and beauty questions. We imagined a supportive resource in the exploration of Asian American identities. At the very least, we hoped that Mochi would serve as a good conversation starter.
Today, we are a collection of perspectives, backgrounds, and personalities hailing from colleges, high schools, and careers nationwide and even abroad. What was once a mere idea is now a full-fledged publication with over forty talented and passionate staff members. In witnessing the growth of Mochi, we have learned a lot about you – ambitious, smart, multi-talented and curious girls – and, consequently, ourselves. And as Mochi continues to grow and reach out to more girls like you, we hope to keep learning.


Hwaseong Fortress


Our next stop brings us to Hwaseong Fortress in Korea.  I was excited to paint this piece because I've never painted something inspired by Korea before...In fact, I painted one version already and threw it out since it just didn't feel right.

..Which brings me to one thought: Challenge yourself

Let your curiosity, not judgement open your mind to possibilities.
In this case, I never thought of fortresses in Korea until I did some research. I ended up learning more about this fortress than I would imagine..challenged myself with color explorations...and delighted in its' construction (took 700,000 man hours!)..

Onward....to the next castle....pack your bags!

Summer Palace


Next Stop: China

Finished the 2nd piece with watercolor commemorating my wonderful memory of visiting the Summer Palace in China with my cousins back in 2004. The colors and architectural intricacy were impressive! I love the vibrant colors, detailing and lush environment all around... Happy Wednesday



Inked version


Matsumoto Castle



My fascination with castles started with my first drawing inspired by Château de Chillon in Switzerland. I clearly remember sitting in the back of a car as my cousin drove by the beautiful, watery scenic road in Montreaux.  I was so exhausted while my two cousins parked and tried to drag me to the castle since there was a tour.  We had literally just arrived in Europe after a long 10 hour flight and driving a few hours to the vacation home where we were staying. It was about 5pm and the tours were closing and I still remember the massiveness and delight of Chillon - especially after seeing the smiling faces of my cousins as they returned from an amazing experience of trap doors, armory and history.  'You missed out!' they said...

I knew I would be back for some reason...the memory of visiting the castle, even if it was a glimpse from the outside would imprint in my memory.

Fast forward to today, this week, I decided to start my tribute to castles and love for traveling - in Asia.

First Stop: Japan

My inspiration was the Matsumoto Castle in Nagano, Hanshu built in 1597  It's structure is precise and the massive stone bases were constructed to withstand  serious stress.  Matsumoto is one of Japan's most beautiful and strongest fortresses.  In 1945 an atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and destroyed the city's castle keep in a second, but the stone base was left virtually untouched.  It's surrounded by some of Japan's highest mountains and by a wet moat.

Chalk art for Google Serve



Just finished this chalk art to promote Google Serve coming in June to all Googlers.  I chose a location where we have our shuttles treking Googlers to and from their homes to the office. Every morning and afternoon dozens of Googlers wait around this area so hopefully this wil encourage them to work.  Getting messy with chalk for the first time was fun and definitely reminded me of when I was a kid! Thanks to my buddy Tim for enduring the hot sun with me to promote a good cause (he does great chalk unicorns :)).  My fondest memories of participating in Google Serve was mural painting and urban farming...so everyone, take some time off for a good cause....

More about Google Serve:  http://www.google.com/giving/people.html:

Each June, Google encourage Googlers to leave their desks for a day to participate in service projects in their communities, ranging from cleaning graffiti to teaching prisoners. Additionally, Google helps Googlers match their skills to specific nonprofit needs, and allow them to use up to 20 hours of work time across the year to volunteer. In the last year, more than 5,000 Googlers tackled more than 400 projects around the world, to volunteer over 50,000 hours in the communities they live and work.







2013 Trevor Huffman Elite Basketball Academy


Over the past few weeks I've been working closely with my good friend Trevor Huffman to create a logo that would represent his elite basketball academy.  Basketball has always been close to my heart, as a collegiate player and admirer of the game.  I'm really excited for SST and Trevor this summer as they kick off their basketball academy to kids starting at age 6 to pro level.  This will be in the midwest and I highly recommend participating in the program.  Trevor has 11 years experience playing professional basketball (taking his team to the Sweet 16, all time scorer, the list goes on) and currently competes overseas in France.
some early sketches
Creating the logo was a fun and collaborative process with Trevor.  We worked together to incorporate the SST brand while creating the elite academy series.  We wanted something, bold, simple, universal and recognizable.  In the end, we opted for a graphical image with the brand in the forefront and academy following.  We explored the meaning of 'Elite' what it meant, how it looked and how it translated into what the basketball academy would represent.  In the end, we came up with something that wasn't fussy..after all, it's all about playing ball :)

the final promo video w/logo





Creative Commons License
Trevor Huffman Elite Basketball Academy Logo by Natalie Woo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Maui Zowie

I just returned from Maui and had an amazing adventure of sun, rain, ocean, you name it.  The best part was meeting a wonderful family, spending time with loved ones, enjoying the surf and relaxing.  I was inspired by the blue ocean covered with golden sand and beautiful, vibrant tropical flowers.  I was able to draw some sketches....Mahalo Maui!

Barn



One of the memorable times during my trip to France was wandering and exploring the countryside. I remember stumbling onto this old barn from the 17th century and meeting a farmer who traveled to Aubrac by foot to bring his 100 cows to graze. It took 12 hours 5am-5pm.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrac_cattle